Nikki Haley on Monday evening hinted at some of the actions the next president would take “on her first day in office,” raising the question: Who is this unnamed female president?

If that person’s initials are N.H., she might be in for a long uphill slog, because while political observers don’t doubt Mrs. Haley’s record as the former governor of South Carolina governor and her foreign policy credentials, they are skeptical that she is the candidate that will ultimately inspire GOP voters. 

In a speech at the Christians United for Israel summit in Washington D.C., Mrs. Haley seemed to be telegraphing her White House aspirations.

“Anything Joe Biden signs will all but guarantee that Iran gets the bomb. No deal is better than a bad deal,” she said. “And if this president signs any sort of deal, I’ll make you a promise…. The next President will shred it — on her first day in office.”

 After that sentence, a copy of the speech obtained by the Sun shows, the text directs the former ambassador to the United Nations to take a pause and give a smile to the crowd.

The hint comes after months of speculation that Mrs. Haley might be a contender in the 2024 presidential race. In June, she said she would consider a presidential run “if there’s a place for me.”

That place appears to be near the bottom of the GOP primary pack — at least for now. Recent polling by the New York Times and Siena College shows her behind President Trump, Governor DeSantis, Senator Cruz, and Vice President Pence in a theoretical primary.

According to the pollsters, Ms. Haley enjoys the support of only about 6 percent of the primary electorate. The one potential candidate she beat out was Secretary of State Pompeo.

Ms. Haley, however, does have a few long suits. Messrs. Trump, Pence, and Cruz are all viewed unfavorably by a majority of Americans, whereas Mrs. Haley is viewed favorably, according to YouGov data.

A professor of government at Hamilton College, Philip Klinkner, tells the Sun that Mrs. Haley would have been a strong candidate in years past but likely would have a hard time motivating the Republican base as well as her competitors.

“Nikki Haley has a lot of things on her resume that she can point to,” he says. “She would be the first female candidate for the Republican Party — an immigrant background, a reasonably good record as the governor of South Carolina, and foreign policy experience.”

Her problem, he argues, is that the Republican voting base has moved its attention away from issues like foreign policy in which Mrs. Haley has a strong record, and toward social issues, on which she has a more moderate record. 

Mr. Klinkner believes that Messrs. Trump and DeSantis would inspire voters more at the polls and has “a hard time seeing her beating a Trump or a DeSantis.”

“She doesn’t hit some of those culture war buttons that are really driving Republican politics and are really motivating Republican voters,” he said. “Nikki Haley appeals to some of the people who still sort of pine for Mitt Romney.”

Mr. Klinkner does not, however, think that the GOP is likely to nominate a candidate in the mold of Senator Romney, at least in 2024. The associate editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, John Coleman, agrees.

“In the longer term, I don’t think the Republican party is going to nominate people like Mitt Romney or John Kasich,” he said. “I can see the Republicans taking a more populist direction.”